Adesanya Can’t Fight Jones Unless His Coach Gives Him Permission

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Israel Adesanya’s coach reminds me of that girlfriend I had in college who would have to approve which friends I was allowed to hang out with.

While it sounds like a dick move on the surface, there is a chance coach Eugene Bareman is simply looking out for his fighter’s best interests and wants to keep “The Last Stylebender” from making any bad career moves.

Like fighting UFC light heavyweight champion, Jon Jones.

“I mean, that’s the thing, it’s not up to Israel,” Bareman told Submission Radio. “I make the decision on the fight. So, come 2021, Israel has to convince me that we should fight Jon Jones. And if I don’t feel that we have to, then it’s not gonna happen. It’s not even Israel’s call.”

I’m pretty sure UFC President Dana White has a say in the matter as well, but as far as what Bareman is talking about, it’s one of the many reasons so many “super fights” (like this one) fall apart at the bargaining table.

Adesanya recently got into war of words with Jones, one that took up a good portion of 2019, but thirsty contenders in both divisions took precedent. And if Bareman has his way, Adesanya may end up leapfrogging Jones and going right into a heavyweight title fight.

“Fighting at heavyweight is not a problem for Israel,” Bareman said about Adesanya, who faces Yoel Romero at UFC 248. “He’s not gonna weigh heavyweight. That wouldn’t be what our advantage is. We’d fight at what our walk-around weight, which is like barely past what the middleweight limit is. And trust me, if he has these three or four more middleweight fights, we will push to fight Stipe, a hundred percent. Yeah, that’s the fight.”

Get in line.